Fabric and method of making same



Filed April 10 1950 1N VEA" T OR. Y I IAYMUND .1 EDUTHVVELL ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 6, 1956 2,769,222 FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Raymond J. Southwell, Nichols, Conn., Mary Elizabeth Southwell, executrix of said Raymond J. Southwell, deceased Application April 10, 1950, Serial No. 154,905

3 Claims. (Cl. 28-73) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in looms and has particular relation to a loom for producing woven fabrics in which the strands are coated and the warp and weft strands are bonded to one another at their places of crossing.

An object of the invention is to provide a loom including means whereby fabric as described is produced in the ordinary or usual operation of the loom in producmg ordinary woven fabrics, the loom including means for bringing about the bonding together of the warp and weft strands after they are interwoven and while the warp strands are yet under tension to the end that all strands of the fabric are secured in their proper and desired relation and cannot move out of their proper relation on handling although the fabric is of open mesh and of strands of small gauges.

The invention comprehends a simple and inexpensive means for converting any or substantially any commercial loom for the production of the fabric above described. In looms as at present constructed, the woven fabric moves over a breast roll after the picks andmay or may not be carried over other rolls to the take up roll on which it is Wound.

During all this time, the warp strands of the fabric are under tension. This tension is carefully regulated and under ideal conditions, the tension is identical on the individual warp strands to the end that when a length of woven fabric is cut and taken from the loom there is no relatively different shifting of the released warp strands and the fabric lies even and smooth and with its warp and weft strands in the desired angular relation.

- Another object of the invention is to provide a method of treating the woven fabric to insure its warp and weft strands remaining in their Woven angular relation.

A further object is to provide a loom having incorporated therein means for automatically practicing the mentioned method of the fabric, all without attention on the part of the operator and substantially without cost to the manufacturer and with only a minor alteration or attachment to the loorn.

An additional object is to provide an improved fabric.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. a

In the drawing: 1

Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing the take upend portion of a loom having my invention incorporated therein;

Fig. 2 is a detail transverse sectionalview showing one manner of mounting of a heater device employed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along a warp strand of a fabric made on such loom;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken strands.

'2 along a weft strand of a fabric made on the loom; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged isometric view showing a strand that may be employed on the loom and in making the fabric of Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring in detail to the drawing, at 10 is generally indicated the take up end portion of a loom, this being the portion of the loom with which the present invention is concerned. Loom portion 10 includes a pick stand 11 on cross rail 11a, a breast roll 12, a bottom roll 13 and a take up roll 14. Beyond the picks is the woven fabric 15 passing over the breast roll 12 and winding onto the take up roll 14. This fabric includes warp strands 16 and weft strands 17. Whenthe diameter of the completed fabric on the roll 14 is such as to nearly touch the fabric moving from the breast roll to the bottom roll, it is removed.

Strands 16 and 17 are shown as'of the. same material and (see Fig. 5) are illustrated as plastic coated strands of glass fibres. Thus, strand 16 comprises a plurality of twisted together glass fibres 18, the whole being embedded in or encased in a coating 19 of a plastic material, preferably a synthetic thermoplastic having a relatively high heat softening point and of a nature not to be destroyed by moisture, sunlight, etc. 1

The loom 10 is of any type in general use and the warp strands are fed in through the usual mechanism and carried past the pick stand 11, the breast roll 12, the bottom roll 13 and Wound onto the take up roll 14. The weft strands are inserted and then beat to position. The position to which the weft strands are moved by the beater is hereinafter referred to as the beat station of the weft In Fig. 1, this station is designated S. It will be understood that there is a completed woven fabric 15 from the beat station of the weft strands over the breast roll, bottom roll and onto the take up roll.

While the strands 16 and 17 have been disclosed as made up of twisted together glass filaments coated with a plastic material, it is to be understood that the invention is not limted to this specific construction of strand. Insofar as the present invention is concerned for the making of fabric, it is only necessary that the strands be coated with a thermoplastic material which does not soften at room temperature.

. strands.

prevent the warp and weft strands from cutting one another. and also enclose the glass. It willbe understood that the warp strands 16 are constantly under'tension all through the loom and even as the woven fabric is wound onto the take up roll 14. Thus, in the completed fabric 15 extending from the picks to the take up roll, the warp strands are by this tension drawn tight against the weft strands.

According to'the invention, a heater 26 is mounted on the loom in any suitable manner but to direct heat against the woven fabric at some point between the beat station of the weft strands and the take up roll. In Fig. 1, the heater .26. is shown as including a heating element 21 and an elongated reflector 2 2. The purpose of the reflector is to concentrate and focus the heat in a Zone extending completely across the moving woven fabric at the point 23 (in Fig. 1) although it will be understood that the application of heat may take place at any point between the picks and the take up roll.

Additionally, the width of the heating zone will depend on the plastic of the strand coatings, the speed of movement of the woven fabric and the intensity of the heat applied. While the heater 20 is shown as a radiant type heater, a strip type heater or any other heater having the characteristics of applying heat in a strip or band extending across the fabric may be used.

In most looms, weaving of fabric having approximately 16 picks per inch takes place at the rate of approximately 3 /2 linear inches of material per minute and thus it will be seen that the Woven fabric is moving relatively slow under the heater 20. The heat concentrated in the strip across the fabric is sufiicient to soften the coating 19 on the strands, both the warp and weft strands, and at this time the wrap strands being under considerable tension, as the coating is softened, there is a drawing of the coatings of the warp strands into the coatings of the weft strands. These softened and pressed together coatings are displaced and flattened against one another at 30 and fuse in their contacting portions. As the fabric moves from under the heater and the coatings cool, these fused together contacting portions of the coatings of the warp and weft strands set and harden permanently and securely bonding the warp and weft strands together at their plac'es of crossing one another.

In some fabrics, both the warp and weft strands are crimped while in others the crimping is almost entirely in the weft strands, the crimp resulting from the tension of the warp strands. The present invention is applicable to either type fabric and, in fact, in a fabric where but the weft strands are crimped, the application of heat to the coated strands while the warp strands are under tensions results in the permanent and secure tacking or bonding of the warp and weft strands together as described. In the construction illustrated, shielding portions of the fabric from the heat is unnecessary but should the heater be otherwise located, provisions for shielding are made.

In looms, great effort is expended in an attmept to insure that the warp strands are all under the same tension. If the warp strands at the salvage edges are under greater tension than those at the mid portion of the fabric, when the Warp strands are cut and this tension is released, there is a distorting of the fabric generally represented by a wave-like hump and hollow through its central portion. The fabric does not lie flat. If the tension on the warp strands towards one edge of the fabric is greater than that at the other edge, then when the Warp strands are cut there is a tendency for the tensions to equalize and the fabric is distorted in that the warp and weft strands do not maintain their woven angular relationship with one another.

Then again in an open mesh fabric made of relatively small gauge strands, there is little crimping of either the warp or weft strands and a very sleezy fabric is produced. In handling, this fabric is likely to go askew and the strands move out of their woven relationship so that the fabric is not first class or must be trimmed along the warp strands in an attempt to produce a piece wherein the mesh remains square.

With the present loom the warp and weft strands be ing bonded together by their coating materials at their places of crossing while in the loom and while the Warp strands are under tension and all of the strands are being held in their woven angular relationship, when the Warp strands are cut and the tension is relieved, the fabric cannot go out of shape. That is, the warp and weft relationship and handling of the fabric does not change this relationship.

Heater 20 is pivotally mounted in bearings 24 on spaced uprights 25 (Fig. 2). This is in order that the heater may have its position reversed so that the heat from it will be directed upwardly whenever the loom is stopped or is not in operation. Thus, the heater will be swung to the dotted line position of Fig. 1 when the loom is stopped for making of adjustments or for changing of the bobbins, etc.

While for different fabrics or different thermoplastic coatings different amounts of heat are required and may be controlled through a rheostat control or the like, in the drawing 1 have shown the uprights 22 as vertically adjustable comprising telescopic portions including bases 26 and posts 27, the bases being mounted on the loom side frame members 28 and the posts being vertically adjustable from the bases.

Set screws 29 may be used to secure the posts 26 in the required positions of vertical adjustment. Of course, the heater may be mounted otherwise, than herein shown and might, in fact, be suspended in position so that in place of reversing it when the machine is stopped it might simply be pulled up to an elevated position where it would be so far from the loom as not to cause damage to material being woven or inconvenience the operator.

Wherever in this specification and in the appended claims the word plastic is used to designate a material, such Word is employed for the purpose of identifying the various materials commercially known as plastics and the word is not used in relation to chemical or mechanical characteristics of the material. These materials may be natural or synthetic and in the form of varnishes or otherwise, when applied. Thermoplastic, as used herein, defines the same materials but limited to those which at room temperature are set and may be handled but which under heat soften.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

l. The method of making open mesh glass fiber fabric having precoated high temperature and moisture resistant thermoplastic coated glass fiber strands comprising weaving said strands into an open mesh fabric of warp and strands remain in their woven angular relationship and the fabric may be handled without fear of damage such as would result from relative movements of the woven strands. Thus, it will be seen that with the loom of the invention I may weave an open mesh of fine gage strands (as wires) and the strands are bonded together at their places of crossing and so when the warp strands are cut, the warp and weft strands remain in their woven angular weft strands and maintaining the warp strands thereof under tension, then while said warp strands are under tension applying sufiicient fusing heat in a zone to the woven fabric where the warp strands are under said tension to soften said thermoplastic coatings of the strands to have the coatings of the warp and weft strands of the fabric fuse to one another, and then continuing movement of said fabric from said zone to have said coatings cool and reset at the places of crossing of said warp and weft strands and form bonds securing the warp and weft strands to one another.

2. The method of making an open mesh fabric having precoated high temperature and moisture resistant thermoplastic coated strands comprising weaving said strands into a fabric of warp and weft strands, feeding said fabric in the direction of its length while maintaining its warp strands under tension, applying sufficient fusing heat to the fabric in a zone extending substantially for the entire width thereof and where the warp strands are under tension softening'the thermoplastic coatings of the strands causing the coatings of the warp and weft strands to fuse to one another at their places of crossing, and controlling the feed of said fabric and while said warp strands are yet under tension to move the fabric past said zone so that said coatings cool and reset at the places of crossing of said warp and weft strands and form bonds securing the warp and weft strands to one another.

3. The method of making a fabric having precoated high temperature and moisture resistant thermoplastic coated strands on a loom including a beat station for weft strands and a takeup roll on which the woven fabric is WQund with its warp strands under tension comprising the steps of weaving in said loom the thermoplastic precoated strands into a fabric of Warp and weft strands and maintaining the Warp strands thereof under tension between said beat station and said takeup roll, then while said warp strands are under tension applying a fusing heat in a zone located between said beat station and said takeup roll to the Woven fabric suflicient to soften said thermoplastic coatings. of the strands, the tension on the warp strands being maintained sufficient to cause the coatings of the warp and weft strands to fuse into one another at the places of crossing of such strands, continuing movement of the fabric from said zone so that said coatings cool and reset at the places of crossing of saidwarp and weft strands and form bonds securing the warp and weft strands to one another and rotating said takeup roll to wind the fabric thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,058,476 Lovett Oct. 27, 1936 6 Harter Apr. 13, 1937 Hall June 27, 1939 Turner Oct. 28, 1941 Strauss Nov. 2, 1943 Ford et a1. July 18, 1944 McFarlane Oct. 10, 1944 Thomas May 8, 1945 Headon Oct. 30, 1945 Bihaly Feb. 1, 1949 Elder Dec. 12, 1950 Foster Jan. 23, 1951 Tingley Apr. 29, 1952 Goldsmith July 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of 1850 

